Delmarva Christian girls’ basketball wins Sts. Peter & Paul grudge match
Riley Barto is a rotational spark plug for the Delmarva Christian girls’ basketball team, but in the Royals’ 33-31 win over Sts. Peter & Paul Jan. 23, it was the junior’s clutch shot that capped a comeback.
“We didn't know how the outcome was going to be, but we were trying our hardest,” Barto said. “It was definitely a good moment, especially after [the game], when all your teammates are coming up to you, slapping you on the back and being like, ‘Hey, good job, we needed that,’ stuff like that.”
The junior said her shot ignited some passion, and the Royals were motivated to get the ball back and keep the momentum going.
After trailing for most of the game, it seemed Delmarva Christian would not avenge their only conference loss of the season, but the girls shook off some early mistakes to all but assure themselves a spot in the ESIAC championship game.
“We snuck away with a win at the end, but I'll take it,” said coach Frank Roach. “Coming out of this break, I knew that it was going to be a little sluggish defensively; offensively, we got to get some things going there, but we hung tight and we stayed true to our fundamentals.”
Trailing 15-12 at the half, the Royals’ defense forced tough shots, but the offense just couldn’t find a spark. Things changed coming out of halftime.
Senior Layni Dukes scored eight of her team-high 14 points in the final two quarters, while junior Evie Bohinski added 13 points, including 11 in the second half. Dukes and senior Taylor Lowe each had five steals.
Dukes believes the game can boost the girls' confidence in their next few matchups. Part of her scoring in the second half came from driving hard to her right in the lane and shooting with a little touch. Bohinski also took advantage of space, and by grabbing a few offensive boards, she created second-chance opportunities. She led the team with 10 rebounds, giving her a double-double along with three blocks.
“I had more confidence in the second half once I got warmed up, and I feel like we came out with more hunger in the second half,” she said.
The Royals were down 29-28 when Barto scooped up a loose ball on the offensive end. Fouled as she took the shot, the junior fought through the contact to collect two points. Bohinksi added three the hard way to provide enough cushion for a 33-31 victory.
